Autism services in Qatar are expanding rapidly, but focus predominantly on young children. The shortage of qualified autism providers and minimal opportunities for autistic youth to participate in school, work, and community have led to a growing population of autistic youth transitioning to adulthood with substantial unmet needs for behavioral…

Purpose: Increasing demand for autism services is straining service systems. Tailoring services to best meet families' needs could improve their quality of life and decrease burden on the system. We explored overall, best, and worst met service needs, and predictors of those needs, for families of children with autism spectrum disorders. Methods:…

Background: Specialist short break services aim to provide enhanced support to family carers as a means of preventing children whose behaviours severely challenge from being placed in full-time residential care. To date, there is limited evidence as to the functioning and effectiveness of such services. Methods: In all, 17 children were selected…

Background: Respite or short breaks are frequently sought by parents and demand for them usually exceeds their availability. Methods: Using data from a national database in Ireland of around 16 000 persons living with family carers, the availability of overnight respite provision was monitored over an 8-year period along with the recorded needs…

Respite is one of the critical support systems for families and carers who support and care for a person with a life-long disability. This study examined the profile of respite services in the Australian state of New South Wales and explored respite providers' views of the factors influencing respite use, and their expectations of respite…

Respite care is one resource or support service designed to help the family in its role as primary caregiver to severely disabled individuals. Aspects of respite care needing improvement are time allotted per family, more qualified/skilled respite care workers, and choice of type of service. (SB)

Respite care for parents of mentally retarded children may be provided through such services as placement agencies, group day care, existing community residences, state residential facilities, funding conduits, and camperships. Partlow State School and Hospital in Alabama has sorted an increasing number of families, since its inception in 1980.…

Significant evaluation findings for a respite care program include the following: (1) training sessions enhanced workers' knowledge of disabilities, (2) families with recently disabled children received more benefits from respite services than families with long-term disabled children, (3) services provided parents emotional relief, and (4)…

Findings of an evaluation of a pilot home-based respite care program designed to serve 35 severely mentally retarded and disabled persons were reported. Results indicated that respite care services had never been previously received by 51.8% of the families. (Author/SB)

Parents of 36 autistic children were assessed on child functioning and family stress variables in relation to use of respite care services. Results suggest that parents with more difficult children need and use respite care more than others. Nonusers of respite care reported a higher perception of social support than users. (JDD)

Considerations related to the design and development of a respite care service delivery network for families of developmentally disabled persons are addressed. A five-component model for developing a respite care service network is presented, focusing on the need for competency-based service-provider training and parent involvement. Lastly,…

Describes respite care, a temporary relief service for families with developmentally disabled members at home, as an essential element in preventing institutionalization of disabled persons. Major approaches for providing respite care are identified. The advantages and disadvantages of the different approaches are discussed. (Author/JAC)

A survey of 20 health districts in England identified specialist services for individuals with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviors. Great diversity was found in such services as specialized teams, staffed housing, assessment and short-term admission, and respite care facilities. Entitlement to appropriate treatment was more…

The Volunteers in Partnership with Parents (VIPP) program is designed to alleviate the pressing problems of rural families as well as provide early intervention to the children. The use of volunteers as partners in working with parents is the crux of the program. (JHZ)